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Nearly 100 years ago, pioneer of modern sculpture Auguste Rodin died. To mark his death and celebrate his work, a roving exhibit of his works is coming to Back Mountain.

The exhibit, “Rodin: Portraits of a Lifetime- Selections from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Collections” moves into the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery at Misericordia University beginning Saturday, Sept. 9 and continues through Dec. 9.

This exhibit includes 17 bronze portraits created by Rodin and three portraits of him created by his contemporaries.

On Sept. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m., an opening reception for the exhibition takes place, followed by the lecture, “Experiencing Rodin” in the Lemmond Theater at Walsh Hall by Judith Sobol, the curator and former executive director of the Cantor Foundation.

In a recent phone interview, Sobol explained that much of her talk surrounds the Cantor Foundation’s interest in Rodin, the process of making multiple original bronze sculptures and what people should look for when viewing Rodin’s work.

“The final part of the talk is about his influence on art today,” Sobol said. “When I talk about his influence, I talk more about attitude than technique… I think it’s a lecture that will prepare the audience for what they did see or what they’re about to see.”

The Pauly Friedman Gallery is one of many museums and galleries across the world celebrating the sculptor’s work, including the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

“I think he was remarkable,” Sobol said of the artist. “He came from a time that had very strict and unfree ideas about what art should be. If an artist was to be successful, he or she had to adhere to these strictures, and (Rodin) refused… He found a way to make sculpture something that could communicate to everyone during his own day, and then freed artists that followed him that would have been limited.”

One of Sobol’s favorite pieces in the exhibit is a pair of Victor Hugo busts. One is a smaller, traditional bust, while the other is based on a Rodin monument that shows Hugo in despair over the recent death of one of his daughters.

“When you compare the pieces as the public Victor Hugo versus the private Victor Hugo it’s immensely rewarding as a viewer,” Sobol added.

The selected works featured in the exhibit demonstrate Rodin’s appreciate for the natural form of the human figure, Sobol explained. A visionary of his time, Rodin transcended the traditional art styles of the late 19th century and focused his art on the natural form and the vitality of the human figure.

“I think (attendees) will take away a great sense of how this artist captured the inner workings of these, often famous, people who sat for him,” Sobol added. “He wasn’t content just showing what their faces looked like, but instead he wanted to show us what was going on inside their heads and inside their hearts, which was revolutionary in his days. Those things were considered nobody else’s business. He wouldn’t have that.”

Details: Curator Judith Sobol gives a lecture, “Experiencing Rodin” following the opening reception at 7 p.m. The reception and presentation are free and open to the public.

Online: www.rodin100.org

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